Government to revoke A1 dualling consent

The scheme would have provided a continuous stretch of dual carriageway to Ellingham

The government is moving to officially revoke the approval that would have allowed for the dualling of a stretch of the A1 road in Northumberland.

Labour announced last October that it was scrapping a long-planned upgrade to the busy route having deemed it "unfunded and unaffordable", sparking outrage among campaigners.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander served notice she will quash the development consent order (DCO) that was granted for the scheme in the Conservatives' final weeks in power at Westminster.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was "exploring solutions" for other changes that could be made on the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham.

Alexander said the dualling scheme was "poor value of money", with its estimated cost having risen from £290m in 2014 to more than half a billion pounds.

The DFT did not give details of what any other improvements might be or how long they might take to implement.

A spokesperson said: "Given the challenging financial picture we inherited, we had to make difficult decisions.

"National Highways is now exploring solutions for this section of the A1 that could improve safety and congestion while offering value for money to the taxpayer."

'Spiteful' claim

The DCO was granted to National Highways in May 2024, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Northumberland Council's Conservative deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said the act of pulling it "feels needless and spiteful".

He said: "I will be discussing with officers at the council what options are available to challenge the revocation next week.

"My hope, no matter how forlorn, is that somehow at least the work done and progress made will not be entirely reversed as Labour are currently directing."

A leaked government report previously revealed plans to dual the A1 were quietly shelved in 2021 under the Conservative government.

Public representations on the revocation order can be made until 12 September.